Washing-machine



UNITED STATES PATENT oEEToE.

, MOSES D. WELLS, 0F MORGANTOWN, VIRGINIA.

WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 15,989, dated` October 28, 1856.

T o all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, MOSES D. WELLS, of Morgantown, in the county of Monongalia "and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Washing- Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawing, forming part of this specication, in which- Figure l is a top view of machine, Fig. 2 is a vertical section on a' m, Fig. 3 is a vertical section on y y.

Similar characters of reference in the several figures denote the'same part of the machine.

The nature of my invention consists in constructing the machine with a clothing rack, made to reciprocate longitudinally between two ribbed wings, whose distance from the rack, and pressure upon the clothing can be controlled by the operator.

The details of construction and operation are as follows.

In the drawing B is the body of the machine, through the middle of which runs a tongue a, serving as the lower guide of a rack R. The rods r hold this rack in positidn and serve as its upper guides. This rack consists of a base piece b carrying a series of uprights o.

On each side of the rack R is a wing W, swinging on journals d. The surface of the wing toward the rack is ribbed as shown in the drawing; or, may be fluted. These wings are connected with the levers Z, by

means of arms e and rods f, so that they4 may be made to approach, or recede from the rack, at the will of the operator.

There are several sets of boxes g in the ends of the machine, for the reception of the wing journals d, so that the space between the wings and rack may be regulated to the nature of the clothing to be operated upon.

The rack is reciprocated by crank C and pitman P; though any other suitable method may be employed.

In washing with this machine, the several articles of clothing are placed upon the rack as shown at C in Fig. 2; the upright c holding the article `while both ends flow off the rack. The wings w having been adjusted with respect to distance from the rack, Y

the operator by means of connecting bar m, produces any required pressure on the clothes, as the rack is reciprocated by power applied to crank K. While adjusting the clothes, the wings are lifted from their boxes and carried against the sides of the machine; the slots n in arms e, permitting said movement.

What I claim as new and of my own invention, is

The reciprocating clothes rack, guided as described, in combination with the wings, arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name before two subscribing witnesses.

MOSES D. WELLS.

Witnesses:

I). C. RUDE, GEO. H. SPAHR. 

